Where to eat at Bondi Beach
The best cafes and restaurants near Sydney’s favourite swim spot.
Words by Ute Junker
Photos supplied
There is a lot more to Bondi’s food scene than fish and chips. Whether it’s a quick bite or a slap-up meal, these venues – all within walking distance of the beach – never disappoint.
Sean’s
It has been a mainstay of the menu for 30 years, so you know there is something special about Sean’s roast chicken. This cosy, art-filled North Bondi restaurant has been doing its own thing for three decades, and continues to delight its regulars with farm-fresh produce that hasn’t been fussed over too much. Dinner is now degustation-only but what hasn’t changed is the welcoming vibe and the countless charming details, from the artworks on the wall to the little sea shells in which sea salt, olive oil and butter are served.
Totti’s
If you’re currently cutting back carbs, save Totti’s for another time. Look around the tables in the shaded courtyard off Bondi Road, up the hill from the beach, and you will see it’s all but obligatory to start with the wood-fired bread, a puffed-up cloud of dough topped with sea salt. And the carbs just keep coming, with the handmade pastas are the highlights of the compact menu. If you are after an alternative, the wood-roasted fish and the schnitzel are also excellent. Wash it all down with negronis available by the half-litre.
Icebergs Dining Room and Bar
Why is Sydney’s most glamorous dining room named Icebergs? Because it sits directly above the Bondi Icebergs all-weather swimming club. Like that swimming pool, the restaurant shines no matter the season. Even on a storm-swept day the views are sensational, the service is always outstanding and the food reliably inventive, from the coral trout crudo spiked with green ants and wax leaf to the superb spot prawns and XO sauce risotto made with creamy Koshihikari rice subbing in for arborio.
Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta
For years, Da Orazio’s porchetta sandwich was the stuff of local legend, the go-to order at this bustling, family-friendly restaurant. The community was stunned when the restaurant closed its doors in 2019 but Maurizio Terzini, the restaurateur behind the nearby Icebergs restaurant, rode to the rescue. The restaurant is now back with its old chef and its old favourites. There are some new highlights on the menu (try the vodka rigatoni) but the legendary pizzas and, of course, that porchetta sandwich are still the reason diners come flocking.
Promenade
The House Made Hospitality group has launched some of Sydney’s hottest dining venues but Promenade is their showpiece. Housed in the art deco Bondi Pavilion, diners can choose between sitting outside – where you have a ringside view of the beach action – or soaking up the beach-house vibe inside. The sophisticated Asian-inflected menu is designed for sharing and the seafood is hard to beat, from the ceviche to the mud crab with mango to sensational sesame brioche bug toast.
Lox, Stock and Barrel
Hipsters nibbling on bagels while tapping away at their laptops, French bulldogs waiting patiently as their owners linger over their Bloody Marys at one of the footpath tables. At first glance Lox, Stock and Barrel appears to be just another classy Bondi café. Actually it’s a Euro-style deli with an artisanal twist. Bread is baked on site, fish and meat are also smoked on the premises. Those pickles, preserves and dressing? Yep, also made in-house. You will see the avocado smash bagel on every third table, but many reckon the signature smoked lox bagel has the edge.
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